KampalaLord’s Resistance Army rebel leader Joseph Kony and his fighters have crossed back to the Central African Republic from southern Darfur looking for food, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces has said.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye said on Tuesday that Kony, with an estimated 200 fighters, returned to CAR last week, four months after they withdrew to Darfur in western Sudan.

Fleeing pressureHe said the rebels were fleeing food shortages and pressure from a UPDF unit pursuing them.

“They crossed back to Central African Republic last week because there is no food to loot and no vegetation to use as cover,” Col. Kulayigye said.

“We we will make sure they don’t come back here.”

Late last year, Kony directed all fighters to follow him to Darfur, but reports by human rights organisations operating in the area say his deputy Okot Odhiambo has maintained his base in CAR.

The rebel leader is also reportedly trying to link up with Odhiambo to carry out more attacks in the area. According to a new report by Enough, a human rights organisation, Dominic Ongwen, another LRA commander, is also said to be operating in DR Congo where he has allegedly abducted 1,400 people in the last 18 months.

The report also says LRA has killed 1,800 civilians in Congo during the same period.

But Col. Kulayigye refuted the figures. “I don’t know what these organisations want. Logically, the dynamics in those areas are not like in northern Uganda where they could easily carry out raids in camps,” he said.